Material handling system and method for products manually processed

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a material handling system and method for a product to be manually processed by an operator (O) at a work-station ( 10 ). The material handling system ( 100 ) includes: batch delivery means ( 20 ) for automatically delivering batches of the product to the work-station ( 10 ) on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for manual processing by the operator; and packing container delivery means ( 60 ) for automatically delivering individual packing containers ( 61 ) to the work-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for filling with the product after manual processing by the operator. Each batch of product is typically supplied in a batch container ( 21 ) and the system may further include batch container dispatch means ( 40 ) for automatically dispatching the batch containers ( 21 ) from the work-station ( 10 ) on an “as required” or “on demand” basis after the operator has finished manually processing the product it contained. The system also typically includes packing container dispatch means ( 80 ) for automatically dispatching product-filled packing containers ( 61 ) from the work-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a material handlingsystem and method, and more particularly to a material handling systemand method for a product to be manually processed by an operator at awork-station.

[0002] The present invention has particular application to the foodprocessing industry and, specifically, to the handling and processing ofmeat and poultry prior to packaging for supermarket shelves. It willtherefore be convenient to hereafter describe the invention in thiscontext. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is notlimited to use within the food processing industry, but that it may alsobe suitable for use in the handling and processing of a variety of otherproducts.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0003] Cuts of meat and poultry, such as pork, lamb, beef and chicken,are typically sold as pre-packaged items in supermarkets. Thesepre-packaged cuts are usually supplied to the supermarkets by meat andpoultry processing and packaging specialists. To date, the preparationof those packages has been very labour intensive, not only in thenecessary manual operations of trimming and cutting larger meat portionsto achieve the desired steaks, fillets and other cuts, but also inhandling of the product and packaging both before and after the trimmingand cutting operations. The present invention therefore aims to providean integrated material handling system and method to improve theefficiency and economy of the overall packaging and production process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] According to one aspect of a first inventive concept, theinvention provides a material handling system for a product to bemanually processed by an operator at a work-station, including:

[0005] batch delivery means for automatically delivering batches of theproduct to the work-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis formanual processing by the operator; and

[0006] packing container delivery means for automatically deliveringindividual packing containers to the work-station on an “as required” or“on demand” basis for filling with the product after manual processingby the operator.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the batch deliverymeans includes means for sensing or identifying when a batch of productis required at the work-station. Each batch of product is preferablyprovided in a batch container, and the batch delivery means preferablyincludes a shuttle device for transporting a batch container from aproduct supply station to the work-station when it is identified asrequiring the product batch. The means for sensing or identifying when abatch of product is required at the work-station may be an optical orphysical sensor for detecting the presence (or absence) of a batchcontainer at the work-station. The batch delivery means also preferablyincludes a mechanism for transferring the batch container from theshuttle device to an access position for the operator at thework-station.

[0008] Similarly, In a preferred embodiment of the invention the packingcontainer delivery means includes means for sensing or identifying whena packing container is required at the work-station, and means forconveying individual packing containers to the work-station when it isidentified as requiring the packing container. The packing containerdelivery means furthermore preferably includes means for guidingdelivery of the packing containers to a filling position at the operatorwork-stations. In the filling position, the packing container is locatedwhere the operator can fill it with the product (eg cuts of meat orpoultry) after that product has been manually processed (eg trimmed andcut). The means for sensing or identifying when a packing container isrequired at the work-station may be an optical or physical sensor fordetecting the presence (or absence) of a packing container at thefilling position.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the material handlingsystem further includes packing container dispatch means forautomatically dispatching product-filled packing containers from thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis. The packingcontainer dispatch means includes a mechanism to remove theproduct-filled packing container from the filling position at thework-station, and an actuator device for use by the operator to actuatethe removal mechanism when the operator decides the filled packingcontainer is ready for dispatch. A packing container is typically readyfor dispatch when the operator considers that enough product has beenplaced in it. The removal mechanism of the packing container dispatchmeans is preferably adapted to discharge the product-filled packingcontainer to a conveyor for carrying that container to a final packagingstation.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the material handlingsystem includes batch container dispatch means for automaticallydispatching the batch containers from the work-station on an “asrequired” or “on demand” basis. The batch container dispatch meansincludes a mechanism to remove the batch container from its position atthe work-station, and an actuator device for use by the operator toactuate the removal mechanism when that batch container is ready fordispatch. A batch container is typically considered ready for dispatchfrom its position at the work-station when the operator has emptied itand manually processed all of its product. The mechanism to remove theemptied batch container from the work-station is preferably adapted totransfer that container to a conveyor, which carries it to a batchcontainer return station.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the work-station isdesigned to ergonomically accommodate a human operator working there.The work-station includes a work space in which the product may bemanually processed by the operator. This work space preferably takes theform of bench space immediately in front of the operator. The batchdelivery means is adapted to deliver the batches of the product to anaccess position at the work-station within easy reach of the operator,and the packing container delivery means is adapted to deliver theindividual packing containers to a filling position at the work-stationwithin easy reach of the operator. The access position to which thebatch containers of product are delivered is preferably adjacent to andin front of the work space. The filling position to which the packingcontainers are delivered is preferably adjacent to, and to one side of,the work space.

[0012] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, thework-station is any one of a plurality of separate work-stationsbelonging to the material handling system. For example, the materialhandling system of the invention is preferably in the form of aprocessing line having a plurality of separate operator work-stations,with most of the system conveying and transporting operations occurringalong a substantially common, primary line of direction. Thework-stations are preferably spaced apart along that primary line, andthey may be located either on one side of, or alternatively, on bothsides of, that line.

[0013] The material handling system of the present invention isdesirably modular in nature. Accordingly, with little modification, thesystem can be adapted from just one or two work-stations to twelve,eighteen or even more.

[0014] The “as required” or “on demand” feature of the present inventionassists in the optimisation of operation of the system. This featurefacilitates almost continuous manual processing (eg trimming andcutting) by the operators at the work-stations, and eliminates timingconsuming manual handling of batch containers and/or packing containers.The system of the invention also has the major advantage of facilitatingprecise tracking of meat and poultry product throughout the processingoperation. Each individual packing container is traceable to thespecific batch container that was in the particular operator accessposition at the time that packing container was filled, and the batchcontainer lots are themselves traceable to the bulk meat/poultry lotsand/or animal carcasses handled by the company.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, this “as required” or“on demand” feature of the present invention operates in the followingway. When an operator actuates the mechanism to remove an empty batchcontainer from the batch access position at the work-station, the batchdelivery means senses or identifies that a new batch is required andproceeds to deliver another batch container of product to thatwork-station when the access position is vacant. The new batch ispreferably transported from a product supply station via a shuttledevice. Similarly, when an operator actuates the mechanism to remove aproduct-filled packing container from the filling position at thework-station, the packing container delivery means senses or identifiesthat a new packing container is required and proceeds to deliver anotherone to the work-station when the filling position is vacant.

[0016] To minimise time delays between removal of one batch container orpacking container and arrival of the next, the material handling systemof the invention preferably provides a batch container buffer and/or apacking container buffer adjacent the work-station. That is, the batchdelivery means preferably includes a batch container buffer that holdsthe next batch container of product in a buffer position adjacent thework-station. This results in the next batch container being ready fordeployment or delivery to the operator access position as soon asdispatch of the current batch container is actuated. Furthermore, thepacking container delivery means also preferably includes a packingcontainer buffer that holds the next one or more (eg three or four)packing container(s) in another buffer position adjacent thework-station. The next packing container is thereby also ready fordelivery to the filling position as soon as dispatch of the currentproduct-filled packing container is actuated. As the batch containerbuffer or the packing container buffer becomes depleted, the respectivebatch or packing container delivery means described above re-suppliesit.

[0017] The material handling system of the invention preferably includesa computer controller for controlling the various automatic operationsof the system. For example, the computer controller instructs the batchdelivery means to deliver a batch container of product to a particularworkstation as required, or instructs the packing container deliverymeans to deliver one or more packing containers to a particularworkstation as required. Similarly, the computer controller instructsthe batch container dispatch mechanism to discharge an empty batchcontainer when the batch container dispatch actuator device is activatedby the operator; and instructs the packing container dispatch mechanismto discharge a filled packing container when the packing containerdispatch actuator device is activated by the operator.

[0018] According to another aspect of the first inventive concept, theinvention provides a material handling method for a product to beprocessed manually by an operator at a work-station, the methodincluding the steps of:

[0019] automatically delivering discrete batches of the product to thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for manualprocessing by the operator; and

[0020] automatically delivering individual packing containers to thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for filling withthe product processed by the operator.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the material handlingmethod further includes the step of: automatically dispatching eachproduct-filled packing container from the work-station on an “asrequired” or “on demand” basis.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each batch of productis supplied in a batch container and the method further includes thestep of: automatically dispatching the batch container from thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis.

[0023] According to one aspect of a second related inventive concept,the invention provides a material handling system for a product to bemanually processed by an operator at a work-station, including:

[0024] batch delivery means for automatically delivering batchcontainers of the product to the work-station on an “as required” or “ondemand” basis for manual processing by the operator; and

[0025] batch container dispatch means for automatically dispatching thebatch containers from the work-station on an “as required” or “ondemand” basis.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the second related concept, thematerial handling system includes packing container delivery means forautomatically delivering individual packing containers to thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for filling withthe product after manual processing by the operator. Furthermore, In apreferred embodiment of the second inventive concept, the materialhandling system further includes packing container dispatch means forautomatically dispatching product-filled packing containers from thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis.

[0027] In a very preferred form of the second inventive concept, thework-station is any one of a plurality of separate work-stationsbelonging to the material handling system.

[0028] According to another aspect of the second inventive concept, theinvention provides a material handling method for a product to bemanually processed by an operator at a work-station, the methodincluding the steps of:

[0029] automatically delivering discrete batch containers of the productto the work-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for manualprocessing by the operator; and

[0030] automatically dispatching the batch containers from thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the second inventive concept, thematerial handling method further includes the step of: automaticallydelivering individual packing containers to the work-station for fillingwith the product after manual processing by the operator on an “asrequired” or “on demand” basis.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the second inventive concept, thematerial handling method further includes the step of: automaticallydispatching each product-filled packing container from the work-stationon an “as required” or “on demand” basis.

[0033] According to one aspect of a third inventive concept, theinvention provides a material handling system for a product to bemanually processed by an operator at a work-station, including:

[0034] packing container delivery means for automatically deliveringindividual packing containers to the work-station on an “as required” or“on demand” basis for filling with the product after manual processingby the operator;

[0035] packing container dispatch means for automatically dispatchingproduct-filled packing containers from the work-station on an “asrequired” or “on demand” basis.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the third inventive concept, thematerial handling system includes batch delivery means for automaticallydelivering batch containers of the product to the work-station on an “asrequired” or “on demand” basis for manual processing by the operator.Furthermore, In a preferred embodiment of the third inventive concept,the material handling system includes batch container dispatch means forautomatically dispatching the batch containers from the work-station onan “as required” or “on demand” basis.

[0037] In a very preferred embodiment of the third inventive concept,the work-station is any one of a plurality of separate work-stationsbelonging to the material handling system.

[0038] According to another aspect of the third related inventiveconcept, the invention provides a material handling method for a productto be processed manually by an operator at a work-station, the methodincluding the steps of:

[0039] automatically delivering individual packing containers to thework-station for filling with the product after manual processing by theoperator on an “as required” or “on demand” basis; and

[0040] automatically dispatching each product-filled packing containerfrom the work-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment of the third inventive concept, thematerial handling method further includes the step of: automaticallydelivering discrete batch containers of the product to the work-stationfor manual processing by the operator on an “as required” or “on demand”basis.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment of the third inventive concept, thematerial handling method further includes the step of: automaticallydispatching the batch containers from the work-station on an “asrequired” or “on demand” basis.

[0043] For assistance in arriving at an understanding of the inventiveconcepts above, a preferred embodiment of the material handling systemand method of the present invention is hereafter described withreference to the accompanying drawings. The preceding description of thesystem and apparatus may also be read with reference to those drawings.However, as the drawings illustrate one example only, theirparticularity is not to be understood as superseding the generality ofthe preceding description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a material handling system according tothe invention in the form of a processing and/or production line;

[0045]FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the material handling system in FIG.1 showing details of the system at a work-station; and

[0046]FIG. 3 is a detailed end view of that part of the packingcontainer dispatch means identified as “A” in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0047] With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the particular example ofthe material handling system illustrated is a processing line 100, alongwhich portions of meat and poultry are manually trimmed and cut byoperators 0 at a plurality of work-stations 10. The operators then placethe resultant cuts of meat in packing containers, typically trays,destined for the shelves of supermarkets.

[0048] The processing line 100 includes a central frame 1, whichsupports the primary conveying or transport mechanisms of the system.The frame 1 extends generally longitudinally of the processing line andthe operator work-stations 10 are positioned next to one another alongthe length of the frame 1 and at each of its opposite sides. In thisexample, the material handling system of the invention has twelvework-stations 10, with six arranged along either side of the centralframe 1. Because each of the work-stations in this example is configuredand operates essentially identically, it will be convenient to now focusthe description of the system at a single work-station, with referenceto FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0049] The material handling system 100 includes a batch delivery means20 for delivering batches of meat portions to be trimmed and cut to eachof the work-stations 10. Each of the batches is provided in a container21 called a tote crate and the batch delivery means 20 includes ashuttle device 22 for transporting a full tote crate 21 to awork-station 10 identified as requiring a new batch of product forprocessing. The shuttle device 22 is mounted on the frame 1 and includesa carriage 23, which supports the full tote crate 21 for transport alonga linear drive unit 24. The carriage 23 is adapted for travel on thelinear drive unit 24 from a supply station 25 to any one of thework-stations 10. The batch delivery means 20 further includes amechanism 26 for transferring the full tote crate from the carriage 23to an operator access position 11 at the designated work-station. Theaccess position 11 is directly in front and within easy reach of theoperator 0 at the work-station. The transfer mechanism 26 includes apneumatic cylinder 27 and is adapted to tilt the carriage 23 to eitherside of the linear drive unit 24 (as required) so that the tote crateslides off the carriage towards the work-station 10.

[0050] The batch delivery means 20 also includes a tote crate buffer 30adjacent the work-station for holding a full tote crate 21 in reserve,ready for immediate delivery to the operator access position 11 whenrequired. The mechanism 26 actually transfers the full tote crate fromthe carriage 23 to the buffer 30 as an interim position before reachingthe access position 11 at the work-station 10. The tote crate buffer 30includes a sloped support plate 31 and a removable stop 32 forselectively retaining a tote crate in the buffer. If the access positionalready has a tote crate, the stop 32 will hold the buffer crate incheck. When the tote crate in the access position 11 is removed, thestop 32 is deactivated, eg moved pivotally out of the way, therebyreleasing the crate on the buffer support plate 31 to slide into theaccess position 11 at the work-station.

[0051] Importantly, the batch delivery means 20 includes means forsensing or identifying when a new tote crate is required at any one ofthe work-stations 10, ie when the access position 11 has been vacated.That is, an optical or physical sensor is provided to detect whether ornot a tote crate 21 is currently in the access position. This enablesthe tote crates to be delivered to the work-stations on an “as required”or “on demand” basis. The tote crate 21 in the buffer 30 is available toimmediately re-supply the operator at the work-station when the totecrate currently being accessed by the operator is emptied and thenremoved. The stop 32 is deactivated enabling the tote crate 21 in thebuffer 30 to slide off the support plate 31 and into the operator accessposition 11. At the same time, the batch delivery means 20 is cued todeliver a new full tote crate to the work-station to re-supply thebuffer 30, which was depleted to fill the vacant access position 11.

[0052] At the access position 11, a tote crate sits on a support plate12 within easy reach of the work-station operator, positioned at anangle to facilitate access to its contents. The operator typically takesmeat portions from the tote crate one at a time, places them on thechopping board 13, cuts off the fat and discards it through an aperture14 at the side of the board, and slices the portion into fillets, steaksetc. for packing. Any small off-cuts of meat (called trim) are alsodiscarded, but through a separate aperture 15 at the top of the board.Each work-station 10 is mounted or supported on a separate frame 2laterally spaced from the central frame 1, and the work-station frame 2supports an off-cuts conveyor 3 which passes beneath each work-stationto collect the fat and trim off-cuts discarded through the apertures14,15. The off-cuts conveyor 3 is longitudinally divided by a partition4 into a region for fat and a region for trim, and each is carried to aspecific collection bin, as shown in FIG. 1. A small partition wall 18is also provided at each of the work-stations 10 to ensure that nooff-cut fat is accidentally ‘flicked’ from one work-station to anotheras it is directed to the aperture 14.

[0053] Once an operator at a work-station 10 has finished processing allof the meat or poultry portions in the tote crate 21 currently at theaccess position 11, the operator needs to remove the now empty totecrate and make room for delivery of the next full one. The materialhandling system 100 therefore also includes a tote crate dispatch means40 for automatically dispatching the tote crates 21 from the accessposition 11 on demand or as required. The tote crate dispatch means 40includes an actuator device 41 for use by the operator to actuate aremoval mechanism 42 when the operator has finished processing theentire contents of the current tote crate.

[0054] The removal mechanism 42 includes a pneumatic cylinder 43 and isadapted to downwardly pivot the support plate 12, which is hinged to thework-station 10, to a discharge position 44 shown in dashed lines inFIG. 2. In the discharge position 44, the tote crate 21 slides off thesupport plate 12 and onto the elevated transfer plate 45. The supportplate 12 may then return to its original orientation defining the accessposition 11, ready to receive the next full tote crate from the buffer30. The transfer plate 45 meanwhile is lowered by a pneumatic mechanism46 to the horizontal position shown, and a pneumatic ram 47 is providedto push the empty tote crate onto a conveyor 48 adapted to carry thecrate to a crate return station (not shown). The conveyor 48 ispreferably divided or partitioned into a plurality of discretecrate-carrying segments, and the pneumatic ram device 47 is desirablycontrolled to delay advancing the crate onto the conveyor 48 until suchtime as the segment of the conveyor passing the crate is free oravailable, ie not already occupied.

[0055] The system 100 of the invention also includes a packing traydelivery means 60 for automatically delivering individual packing trays61 to each work-station 10 identified as requiring another tray. Thepacking tray delivery means 60 includes conveyor means in the form oftwo separate belt conveyors 62 mounted on top of the frame 1. Each ofthe belt conveyors 62 transports packing trays 61 from a tray supplystation 63 along the processing line to the work-stations 10, and eachbelt conveyor services the work-stations 10 on one side of the line 100.At each of the work-stations, the packing tray delivery means 60 furtherincludes a feed ram 64 (again preferably pneumatically driven) and achute or ramp 65 for guiding delivery of the packing trays 61 from therespective belt conveyor 62 to a filling position 16 at eachwork-station.

[0056] When the filling position 16 at a work-station is unoccupied, apacking tray slides down the guide chute 65 and, assisted by carefullydirected air jets, glides into a movable tray caddy 66 aligned with thechute at the work-station 10. The caddy 66 then lifts the new tray 61into the filling position 16. At the filling position 16, the packingtray is positioned with its open top facing up and is accessible throughan aperture in a cover plate 17 adjacent to the chopping board 13 at thework-station. An outwardly projecting flange-type rim 67 of the tray ispressed against the underside of the cover plate 17 when the caddy 66raises the tray into position. This not only firmly secures the tray inthe filling position, but also keeps the rim hidden or covered, therebykeeping it clean for sealing with a film layer in a later, finalpackaging step. At the filling position 16, the tray 61 is within easyreach to one side of the work-station operator and, after trimming andcutting the meat portions taken from the tote crate in the accessposition, the operator places the fillets, steaks or other cuts of meatand poultry within the empty tray.

[0057] The packing tray delivery means 60 also includes a packing traybuffer 70 for holding a number of packing trays in reserve, ready forimmediate delivery to the filling position 16 when required. The feedram 64 actually feeds the packing trays 61 into the buffer 70, which islocated on the guide chute 65. The buffer 70 in this particular caseholds four packing trays 61, with the first buffer tray isolated fromthe filling position by a first tray stop 71, and from the other traysin the buffer 70 by a second tray stop 72. In this example the traystops 71,72 are retractable rod-like elements which project upwardlyfrom below the chute or ramp 65 to engage a front of the trays andthereby prevent their further progress towards the filling position.Each of the tray stops 71,72 may be deactivated or retracted to preventtheir interference with the trays.

[0058] The packing tray delivery means 60 furthermore includes means forsensing or identifying when a packing tray is required at one of thework-stations, ie when the filling position 16 has been vacated. Thatis, a sensor (optical or physical) is provided to detect whether or nota packing tray 61 is currently in the filling position 16. This enablesthe packing trays to be delivered to the work-stations as required or ondemand. The packing trays in the buffer 70 are available to immediatelyre-supply the operator at the work-station when the tray currently beingfilled by the operator is removed from the filling position. When thefilling position is identified as empty, and therefore as requiring anew packing tray, the first tray stop 71 is deactivated (ie retracted)enabling the first packing tray in the buffer 70 to slide down the guidechute 65 and into the caddy 66 to be raised into the operator fillingposition 16. The first tray stop 71 is then reactivated and the secondtray stop 72 deactivated, enabling the packing tray previously in thesecond buffer position to move forward into the first buffer position.The second tray stop 72 is then also reactivated to again isolate whatis now the first buffer packing tray from the other trays 61 in thebuffer 70. At the same time, the packing tray delivery means 60 is cuedto deliver a new empty packing tray 61 from the belt conveyor 62 tore-supply the buffer 70, which was depleted to supply the vacant fillingposition 16.

[0059] As an operator at a work-station cuts and trims the meat and/orpoultry portions from the tote crate 21 in the access position, theresultant choice cuts are placed in the packing tray 61 at the fillingposition 16. Naturally, each packing tray will only contain one or two,or perhaps three, separate cuts, so each packing tray will be filled andrequire replacement relatively quickly. For example, for each singletote crate of product processed by the operator, many separate packingtrays will be required. The system of the invention therefore alsoincludes a packing tray dispatch means 80 for automatically dispatchingproduct-filled packing trays from the work-station on demand or asrequired. The packing tray dispatch means 80 includes an actuator device81 for use by the operator to actuate a removal mechanism 82 adapted toautomatically remove a product-filled packing tray 61 from the fillingposition 16 when the operator considers that enough product has beenplaced in it.

[0060] The removal mechanism 82 is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 and isadapted to lower the packing tray caddy 66 and deposit the filled trayon a transit surface 83 directly below the filling position 16. Theremoval mechanism 82 further includes a pusher 84, which is designed toengage the tray at this location and drive it out of the caddy 66 andalong the transit surface 83 towards a conveyor 85 mounted on thecentral frame 1. The packing tray caddy 66 is then free to return to itsinitial position in alignment with the guide chute or ramp 65 to receivea new packing tray 61 from the tray buffer 70. The conveyor 85 isarranged to carry the filled tray to a final packaging station (notshown) where a film covering will be applied to the upper rim of thetray and the product will be weighed and priced. Like conveyor 48, theconveyor 85 is preferably divided or partitioned into a plurality ofdiscrete tray-carrying segments, and the pusher 84 is desirablycontrolled to pause or delay actually advancing the tray onto theconveyor until the segment of the conveyor passing the tray is free oravailable, ie not already occupied. Furthermore, the conveyor 85 isdivided longitudinally by partition 86 so that use of a single conveyorcan be maximised by the work-stations at either side of the centralframe 1.

[0061] In operation, the processing line 100 enables the operators atthe work-stations to devote their time almost exclusively to the task ofmanually processing the meat and poultry delivered to the work-stations.Tote crates full of product to be processed are delivered automaticallywhen a work-station is identified a requiring one, and the operatoractuates the tote crate's automatic dispatch (by pressing aknee-activated button 41, for example) when all of the product itcontained has been processed. This actuation itself may serve as thecontrol system trigger for sensing or detecting when a new batch crateof product should be delivered to that work-station. Similarly, packingtrays to be filled by the operators are also automatically delivered oneat a time to the work-station when the work-station is identified arequiring one. And the operator actuates each packing tray's automaticdispatch (again, for example, by pressing a knee-activated button 81)when the operator considers it has been sufficiently filled. Thisactuation may also serve as the control system trigger for sensing ordetecting when a new packing tray should be delivered to thatwork-station.

[0062] Since the delivery and dispatch of product both before and afterprocessing is automatically controlled, the system of the inventionlends itself to monitoring or tracking the passage of product throughoutthe system. Each packing tray filled and dispatched can be traced to aparticular work-station and the particular tote crate from which themeat or poultry came. And the tote crates can themselves be traced to aparticular bulk meat or poultry lot and/or animal carcass handled by theprocessing and packaging company.

[0063] The processing line 100 includes a computer controller (notshown) for controlling all of the automatic operations of the system.For example, the computer controller instructs the shuttle device 22 todeliver a tote crate 21 of product to a particular work-station orbuffer 30 as required, or instructs a particular feed ram 64 to deliverone or more packing trays 61 into a guide chute 65 to supply aparticular work-station as required. Similarly, the computer controllerinstructs the tote crate removal mechanism 42 to discharge an empty totecrate 21 when the actuator button 41 is activated by the operator; andinstructs the packing tray removal mechanism 82 to discharge a filledpacking tray 61 when the actuator button 81 is activated by theoperator.

[0064] The computer controller functions as a virtual “nerve centre” forthe entire material handling system of the invention. In addition tocontrolling the routine operations for normal running of the machine, itpreferably enables each of the plurality of work-stations to beindividually switched on or off, ie to be brought on-line or off-linewithin the handling system. It is able to control the automatic emptyingof all batch containers and/or packaging containers (whether full orempty) from the system, to enable a change of either. It also preferablyenables a problem analysis to be carried out at any one or more of thework-stations in the event of a processing problem.

[0065] Another major advantage of the computer controller is itsusefulness in tracking tote crates 21 and packing trays 61 throughoutthe processing line 100. This can have very significant benefits forquality assurance in the material handling system. The system of theinvention not only enables tracking and recording of which tote crates21 of meat or poultry were processed at which work-station 10, but alsoof which packing trays 61 were filled from which tote crates. It is alsopossible to monitor and record which operator worked at a particularwork-station and handled the contents of particular packing trays.Accordingly, a thorough record of the meat in each tray and who it washandled by can be maintained.

[0066] The processing line 100 described is preferably fabricatedsubstantially entirely from stainless steel since it will need to bewashed-down once every day to ensure sanitary standards are maintained.The electric and electronic power and control systems built into thematerial handling system of the invention will desirably be fully housedwithin water-tight enclosures for their protection. For example,elevated casings 90 shown in FIG. 2 may house the electric andelectronic power and control systems. The computer controller desirablyhas a cleaning mode in which it ensures positive pressurisation of allthe pneumatic cylinders to prevent ingress of water during washing ofthe processing line.

[0067] Finally, it will be understood that various modifications and/oradditions may be made to the system and method described above withoutdeparting from the spirit or ambit of the present invention as definedin the appended claims.

1. A material handling system for a product to be manually processed byan operator at a work-station, including: batch delivery means forautomatically delivering batches of the product to the work-station onan “as required” or “on demand” basis for manual processing by theoperator; and packing container delivery means for automaticallydelivering individual packing containers to the work-station on an “asrequired” or “on demand” basis for filling with the product after manualprocessing by the operator.
 2. A material handling system according toclaim 1, wherein the batch delivery means includes means for sensing oridentifying when a batch of product is required at the work-station. 3.A material handling system according to claim 2, wherein each batch ofproduct is provided in a batch container, and the batch delivery meansincludes a shuttle device for transporting one of the batch containersfrom a product supply station to the work-station when the work-stationis identified as requiring the product batch.
 4. A material handlingsystem according to claim 3, wherein the batch delivery means includes amechanism for transferring the batch container from the shuttle deviceto an access position for the operator at the work-station.
 5. Amaterial handling system according to claim 4, wherein the batchdelivery means includes a batch container buffer for accommodating abatch container of product adjacent the work-station.
 6. A materialhandling system according to claim 1, wherein the packing containerdelivery means includes means for sensing or identifying when a packingcontainer is required at the work-station, and means for conveyingindividual packing containers to the work-station when the work-stationis identified as requiring one or more of the packing containers.
 7. Amaterial handling system according to claim 6, wherein the packingcontainer delivery means includes guide means for directing delivery ofthe packing containers to a filling position at each of the operatorwork-stations.
 8. A material handling system according to claim 7,wherein the guide means is in the form of a chute that extends from apacking container conveyor to the work-station.
 9. A material handlingsystem according to claim 8, wherein the packing container deliverymeans includes a packing container buffer for accommodating a pluralityof packing containers adjacent the work-station.
 10. A material handlingsystem according to claim 9, wherein the packing container buffer isprovided in the guide chute.
 11. A material handling system according toclaim 1, wherein the work-station is designed to ergonomicallyaccommodate a human operator and includes a work space in which theproduct may be manually processed by the operator, the batch deliverymeans being adapted to deliver the batches of the product to an accessposition at the work-station within easy reach of the operator, and thepacking container delivery means being adapted to deliver the individualpacking containers to a filling position at the work-station within easyreach of the operator.
 12. A material handling system according to claim11, wherein the work space takes the form of bench space immediately infront of the operator, and wherein the access position to which thebatch containers of product are delivered is adjacent to and in front ofthe work space within easy reach of the operator, and the fillingposition to which the packing containers are delivered is adjacent andto one side of the work space where the operator can fill it with theproduct after that product has been manually processed.
 13. A materialhandling system according to claim 1, further including packingcontainer dispatch means for automatically dispatching product-filledpacking containers from the work-station on an “as required” or “ondemand” basis.
 14. A material handling system according to claim 13,wherein the packing container dispatch means includes a mechanism toremove the product-filled packing container from the filling position atthe work-station, and an actuator device for use by the operator toactuate the removal mechanism when that filled packing container isready for dispatch.
 15. A material handling system according to claim14, wherein the removal mechanism of the packing container dispatchmeans is adapted to discharge the product-filled packing container to aconveyor for carrying that container to a final packaging station.
 16. Amaterial handling system according to claim 1, further including batchcontainer dispatch means for automatically dispatching the batchcontainers from each work-station on an “as required” or “on demand”basis.
 17. A material handling system according to claim 16, wherein thebatch container dispatch means includes a mechanism to remove the batchcontainer from the access position at the work-station, and an actuatordevice for use by the operator to actuate the removal mechanism whenthat batch container is ready for dispatch.
 18. A material handlingsystem according to claim 17, wherein the mechanism to remove theemptied batch container from the access position is adapted to transferthat container to a conveyor, which is able to carry it to a batchcontainer return station.
 19. A material handling system according toclaim 1, further including a computer controller for controlling thevarious automatic operations of the system.
 20. A material handlingsystem according to claim 1, wherein the work-station is any one of aplurality of separate work-stations belonging to the material handlingsystem.
 21. A material handling system according to claim 1, wherein thematerial handling system is in the form of a processing line having aplurality of separate operator work-stations, said processing linehaving most of the system conveying and transporting operationsoccurring along a substantially common, primary line of direction.
 22. Amaterial handling system according to claim 21, wherein the operatorwork-stations are spaced apart along the processing line with thework-stations located on both sides of that line.
 23. A materialhandling method for a product to be processed manually by an operator ata work-station, the method including the steps of: automaticallydelivering discrete batches of the product to the work-station on an “asrequired” or “on demand” basis for manual processing by the operator;and automatically delivering individual packing containers to thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for filling withthe product processed by the operator.
 24. A material handling methodaccording to claim 23, further including the step of: automaticallydispatching each product-filled packing container from the work-stationon an “as required” or “on demand” basis.
 25. A material handling methodaccording to claim 23, wherein each batch of product is supplied in abatch container and the method further includes the step of:automatically dispatching the batch container from the work-station onan “as required” or “on demand” basis.
 26. A material handling systemfor a product to be manually processed by an operator at a work-station,including: packing container delivery means for automatically deliveringindividual packing containers to the work-station on an “as required” or“on demand” basis for filling with the product after manual processingby the operator; packing container dispatch means for automaticallydispatching product-filled packing containers from the work-station onan “as required” or “on demand” basis.
 27. A material handling systemaccording to claim 26, further including batch delivery means forautomatically delivering batch containers of the product to thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for manualprocessing by the operator.
 28. A material handling system according toclaim 27, further including batch container dispatch means forautomatically dispatching the batch containers from the work-station onan “as required” or “on demand” basis.
 29. A material handling methodfor a product to be manually processed by an operator at a work-station,the method including the steps of: automatically delivering individualpacking containers to the work-station for filling with the productafter manual processing by the operator on an “as required” or “ondemand” basis; and automatically dispatching each product-filled packingcontainer from the work-station on an “as required” or “on demand”basis.
 30. A material handling method according to claim 29, furtherincluding the step of: automatically delivering discrete batchcontainers of the product to the work-station for manual processing bythe operator on an “as required” or “on demand” basis.
 31. A materialhandling method according to claim 30, further including the step of:automatically dispatching the batch containers from the work-station onan “as required” or “on demand” basis.
 32. A material handling systemfor a product to be manually processed by an operator at a work-station,including: batch delivery means for automatically delivering batchcontainers of the product to the work-station on an “as required” or “ondemand” basis for manual processing by the operator; and batch containerdispatch means for automatically dispatching the batch containers fromthe work-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis.
 33. Amaterial handling method for a product to be manually processed by anoperator at a work-station, the method including the steps of:automatically delivering discrete batch containers of the product to thework-station on an “as required” or “on demand” basis for manualprocessing by the operator; and automatically dispatching the batchcontainers from the work-station on an “as required” or “on demand”basis.